Morning Bell: Why Does Louisiana Think This is Obama’s Katrina?

President Barack Obama finished-up his 10-day vacation on Martha’s Vineyard yesterday by flying down to New Orleans where he gave a speech at Xavier University marking the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. The President specifically linked the 2005 disaster with the region’s most recent troubles telling the audience: “Even as you’ve been buffeted by Katrina and Rita, even as you’ve been impacted by the broader recession that has devastated communities across the country, in recent months the Gulf Coast has seen new hardship as a result of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.” Obama then rattled through all that has administration has done for the Gulf since the oil spill before concluding that the legacy of Katrina must be “not one of neglect, but of action; not one of indifference, but of empathy.”

But if the Obama administration has treated New Orleans with action and not neglect, with empathy and not indifference, then why does the latest survey from Public Policy Polling, a liberal polling firm, show that not only do Louisianans disapprove of Obama’s actions in the aftermath of the spill by a 61%-32% margin, but a majority, 54%, believe that President George W. Bush did the better job of helping Louisiana through Katrina? The answer was given by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) shortly after the President’s Xavier speech when Jindal told reporters: “The experts all agree, we can end this moratorium before six months. Let’s put our people back to work.”

I don’t think they understood how the energy industry worked – I think they really thought that the rigs could simply flip a switch. I hope [they] now have a better understanding of what’s at stake, the jobs that are at stake. Until they came down here, they didn’t understand the human impact in terms of the small businesses and jobs.

President Obama’s oil drilling ban is set to end on November 30, but hopefully the White House will begin to show some understanding of how the Gulf economy works by ending the ban before that. But don’t hold your breath. President Obama made no mention of his oil drilling ban in his Xavier speech. And the mainstream media is intent on letting him get away with it. Brian Williams interviewed President Obama for NBC News last night and asked only two questions about the oil spill and another about the economy, but made no mention of the oil ban.

The President’s oil drilling moratorium aside, there’s another larger lesson from both Katrina and the Deepwater spill: the federal government can better defend the homeland domestically by returning power to states and localities. For far too long states have grown dependent on FEMA for their disaster response capabilities. As we wrote in April:

In the short span of 16 years, the yearly average of FEMA declarations has tripled from 43 under President George H. W. Bush to 89 under President Clinton to 130 under President George W. Bush. In his first year, President Barack Obama issued 108 declarations—the 12th highest in FEMA history—without the occurrence of one hurricane or other major disaster. In the first three months of 2010, President Obama has issued 32 declarations, which puts him on pace for 128 declarations for the year—the sixth most in FEMA history.

The Obama administration’s approach to the fallout from its oil drilling ban illustrates why that local approach is a better one. Gov. Jindal explained: “In the beginning, the administration suggested people file BP claims with unemployment claims. We made it clear that people want to go back to work.” Less dependency. More work. The Obama administration must end the oil ban and let Louisiana heal.

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A third pernicious effect of increased FEMA involvement is that such bailouts encourage people in flood and wind prone areas to be irresponsible. Why pay for insurance when you know FEMA will rebuild your lost property in the event of a catastrophic event?

Better to make monthly payments for cable TV, cell phone, more car and/or house than you can really afford, and other non-essentials than an insurance premium that you may never use, right? Let some rich guy rebuild your house!

Obama and his administration will keep this moratorium as long as they can…first, to prove they have control, in a state that didn't vote for him, and second, because some of them (not mentioning any names) have "interests" in oil companies in other countries. To add to it, Jindal tried to handle things on his own and this administration doesn't want states to handle their own problems, they want to try to SAVE people in the states to show how much they need the federal government, and in the process, are trying to CONTROL. If this administration wanted to help, they would've asked Gov. Jindal what was needed…..instead of turning away help from foreign countries without asking, and they would not have altered what was said by "experts" in order to pass their "cap and trade".

Well, I am encouraged by the Rally to restore honor to America. If each and every person who believes in God will put God first in their lives, and work towards a common Goal, We WILL retake America, and defeat the forces attempting to push us into slavery. After we accomplish this, everything else will fall into place, as free market forces work.

America has become complacent, lax, and dependant on the left wing for hand outs. If all of the illegal aliens, in our country,had any backbone, they'd wake up and see that they are being used to bring down the greatest nation in the world in exchange for a hand out.

Those of us who have ancestorial heritage to the settlers of America know why you come here. But try to support what it stands for instead of wallowing in self pity.

Obama does not understand the people of Lousiana nor the people of the United State. Obama wants to be "Big Daddy" with the large pocketbook ever ready to dole out money to the beggers. What the people of Lousiana want is to be able to work not beg. Obama's moratorium on drilling is the stupidest thing this over educated, under "smarts" man could have done for the people of Lousiana. Wake up Obama, do your job. We need a president who works for the people.

This administration especially, but previous ones also, foster a dependency on the federal government that is pernicious to the states. The powers of the state should not be abrogated by the federal government. Wake up America! Individuality is disappearing with the entitlement mentality fostered by Big Brother.

On Meet the Press yesterday morning Mary Landrieu gave Bush an F- for helping rebuild LA after Katrina. She pointed out his speech to the nation saying the country would help rebuild New Orleans but in the end she claims he abandoned the LA. She said the levis gave out plan and simple……but she failed to point out the milliions of taxpayer dollras given to LA to rebuild those levis over the years by all past administrations only to have the money spent on "other things".

New Orleans is thriving once again and my guess would be because they are under the "management" of Gov Jindal. I have no doubt Gov Jindal will do everything in his power to get Louisianes back to work but until BO lifts the oil drilling ban all hands are tied. Just what has BO found from this moratorium to help prevent future spills? Have they done any investigating yet? While they drag their feet more oil rigs pull out of the Gulf for overseas destinations taking jobs and other business with them.

Time for BO "to get off the couch" and be pro-jobs not only for LA but the nation. If he can't be bothered then let the states take care of themselves the way that's suited best for them.

WE BEG YOU PRESIDENT OBAMA, DO NOT DESTROY THESE PEOPLE ANY LONGER. LIFT THE BAN. YOU ARE STRIKING AND KILLING PEOPLE WITH YOUR BAN!!! WAKE UP MR. PRESIDENT BEFORE YOU HAVE TOTALLY DESTROYED THE AMERICAN DREAM!!!! PLEASE, GOD HELP YOU TO UNDERSTAND.

I don't think Obama gives a "hoot' about the oil industry in Louisisana and the hardship his moratorium is causing to our Louisiana families. He was here to do "damage control" for his next political campaign.

Just more of his empty promises to keep people on Uncle Sams Plantation. We are still paying for Katrina. Lift the off shore drilling ban, and give back the states rights as it was originally intended.

The president of the United States delivered a speech, not for the people of the area, but for his campaign. He ignored all of the governor's pleas so that the governor could help himself and the area is directly responsible for. And now, to placa

Another vacation… he must like spending our tax money or is it our Social Security money??????? If he would stay in Washington, maybe he would do something useful for once, but then when he is is Washingtom the wife is on vacation…must be nice. He hasn't done a thing creditable to help America.. Put us in debt more than any other president, and runs us down to other countries.. What a looser..

Obama is a talker not a doer (but support ing the sabotage of our Government). He preaches his nefarious ideologies in generalizations. He'll lie when necessary; he'll avoid answering questions; he's intent on crippling this Country.

As Jackie Mason said about Bill Clinton: "The man is full of ..it", I think Obama combines a detestation of America along with his belief of Progressive Socialism! The sooner we are rid of him and the idiots who worship him, the better! Marxism will not make us anything but a failed Country.

As deToqueville wrote: "America is a great country because it is a good country. When America stops being a good country, it will no longer be great"!

A ruling aristocracy, as we have with Obama and the Washington political class, hammering us citizens into the ground with Taxes and Laws that take our Freedoms, does not make for an America that is good!

That seems a little unfair to the president, there was some extensive flooding throughout the country this year and those states that were affected applyied for FEMA help when their governers declared the areas disasters areas. Can we keep a solid conservitive base without lies and deciet?

After much thought and study of how Obama solves problems Gov. Jindal's comment finally gelled my thoughts. Obama really believes that by flipping a massive, too expensive switch it is solved. He must believe in some kind of liberal magic which dismisses the individual and local government for the wonders of the all knowing powerful feds. He doesn't seem to have any real understanding of the interplay, complexity or long term consequences of his switch flipping. I sincerely hope in November we can begin to take his finger off the switch.

What BO did in his campaign was typical class warfare. He pitted the middle class against the rich and the poor against everyone. He had success in doing it. He also managed to blame GWB for the nation's problems, figures it'll work again, and he's off on the same material. Supposedly, he stated that New Orlean's damage was a man made disaster???? I would assume he's blaming Katrina on GWB. In my mind, he's the worst president we've ever had and his HCR is still in jeapordy.

Katrina was a natural disaster, An act of God! Total incompetence by two Democrat politicians, Mayor Ray Nagin and Governor Kathleen Blanco, caused more pain and suffering than had to be. They delayed accepting help from Bush when he first offered. Certain New Orleans citizens added to the misery by waiting for this incompetent local government to come and save them. Faulty construction by the Corps of Engineers (not under Bush) caused the levee breaks, not the winds of the storm. For sure, FEMA made serious mistakes. But overall the reason so many refer to "Bush's Katrina" is because of the continued attacks and onslaught by the left-wing media to set the stage for Obama.

On the other hand, the truth of the cause of both the blow-out and spill (which are two seperate issues) may not ever be known. But the deliberate actions and non-actions by Obama are will known. From day 3, when he first refused foreign and domistic help, to the manipulation of federal agencies that stopped and prevented local help from taking actions to prevent the spread of oil, Obama used this "crisis" to futher his agenda to pass Cap and Trade and stop offshore drilling.

Suffering from Katrina's aftermath was because of incompetence. Major damage by the BP spill was deliberate for Obama's political agenda. Despite his continued lies, distortions, photo opts, and speeches, the people of Louisiana will not be fooled again. They, along with the majorty of Americans, now know who and what Obama is.

Sometimes, maybe most of the time, when the President talks, nobody really listens except his far left target group of left wingers and most of the time he says things that are so far from the truth, well, lets just say it's pathetic. So, not revoking the Jones Act, placing a 6 month moritorium on drilling, not going to the Gulf within the first few days or weeks of the spill, the non coordination of the spill itself; no government oversight committee, and all the red tape thrown up to block new sand barriers or things B. Jindal wanted to do prevent the oil from spilling ashore. Sure sounds like the real truth may be more of what Heritage says versus what Obama says and does.

Please, Obama, no more "Help!" Every time I hear that word, I know that the federal gummint will be taking money out of my pocket and giving it to someone else…..without my express permission and without my even knowing who that person is or just how the money is to be wasted….er….spent.

If your (not mine any longer) government would just get out of our lives and let us make our own decisions for our own good (unfortunately, you feel we are too stupid to make good decisions), our lives would be made far simpler. Dumping more money into Louisiana is like dumping water down a gopher hole: never ending, and it fails to eradicate the problem.

Jindal does not believe Louisiana is a Sovereign State with Sovereign People.

He believes in Central Government. He accepts the lie that he must ask permission from the Federal Government to do anything.

It is past time for the State of Louisiana to reopen the drilling under state law and tell the FED to kiss off. Take us to court.

In Liberty,

Tom Rankin

C4Lsheepdog

985/438-6798

"Most people prefer to believe their leaders are just and fair even in the face of evidence to the contrary, because once a citizen acknowledges that the government under which they live is lying and corrupt, the citizen has to choose what he or she will do about it. To take action in the face of a corrupt government entails risks of harm to life and loved ones. To choose to do nothing is to surrender one’s self-image of standing for principles. Most people do not have the courage to face that choice. Hence, most propaganda is not designed to fool the critical thinker but only to give moral cowards an excuse not to think at all." –Michael Rivero

Our Messiah has no inkling of the importance of "States Rights". Nor has he made the connection that the business of America is BUSINESS! He is a hundred percent product of his liberal and socialistic ideas and environment. Unfortunately he has fooled many, many folks until recently. He as well as other Caananites will soon be hung out to dry before too much longer…….Praise the Lord!!

It should be obvious by this time, even to his fans that elected him, that Obama is not an American, he does not act and think like an American. He is wrapped up in his giant ego and his desire to be dictator. I just hope that bunch of young, starry eyed idealists that got him into power are beginning to realize the enormity of their mistake. If we do not get a sane majority into the legislature this Nov, we will have death taxes, high energy bills, and our great middle class morphed into proletarians.

What has this moratorium proven other than further damage the Gulf Coast economies? IT would help the citizens of Arizona solve their problems if Obama could spend his next vacation in Tucson/Phoenix and see first-hand the impact of illegals invading that area.

Neither Obama nor any of his comrads have ever run so much as a lemonade stand, this includes Pelosi, Kerry, Reid, Boxer and the rest in Congress that have never held a job.

Now Boby Jindal and Jan Brewer are feeling the rookie control. Jindal by Obama cutting off the lifes blood of Louisiana's Energy Role and Ms. Brewer with the President of the United States taking a stance siding with the illegals in Arizona, be they drug dealers or just citizens of another country rather than standing behind American Citizens.

I agree with Mr. Page. Obama does not care one iota for the actual folks of this nation. It is and always will be about himself and his family. It is about making lots of money and having folks bow down to him.. He is all about the left wing agenda and achieving total control over everyone. He is about destroying the private sector and taking what riches are left from those who earned them and giving that money to those who haven't earned a dime. The more I read about him and the more I see him the more sickened I get. He is a liar,a cheat, a manipulator of the highest order. He wants to bring down this country because he really has a hatred for this nation. I think he really is a Muslim who wants to destroy us from within. Who else lies about their birth certificate, their social security number, their place of birth!! He has not accomplished much in his professional life but be a puppet of George Soros and his union bosses.

He and his wife spend our money like it grows on trees all the while our folks can't find work and are loosing their homes.

It is also amazing how the media just turns a blind eye to the actual facts of what this man does.

We are being overrun here in Arizona and he is more interested in keeping the Dems in control with giving amnesty to all the illegals. He wants to insure power at all cost. I can only hope the people will WAKE UP and get he and Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi out of office as soon as possible. These folks are a disaster!

This Pres. is arogant, he believes he knows more than anyone else what is good for the country. It's his way or the highway, he said so on the view. I am not physic, but I believe a lot of things are going to come to light between the election and when the next Congress is sworn in, and at this time BHO will be helpless to stop these truths from surfacing as his henchmen will have no power and they will be under investigation as well. If we all follow through with what Glen Beck has started this will happen. We are a Nation, founded UNDER GOD, and for us "WE THE PEOPLE". Abe Lincoln stated it at Gettysburg,Gov't. for the people, by the people and of the people, no where does it say by the Congress or President.

Why does anyone care what Mr. Obama says anymore? He couldn’t tell the truth if his life depended on it.

That line of his about his administration “taking action and showing empathyto the people of New Orleans” is just so much hogwash. Mr. Obama has stuck the American with an $830 billion Stimulus bill that has parceled out money for scores of ridulous projects and studies. How many jobs would have been created by using that money to solidly rebuild oceanfront breakwaters and permanent levies along the Mississippi River to prevent flooding? He has had 19 months to do this.

Instead, we see the administration’s empathy visited upon the (formerly employed) citizens of New Orleans that used to work on the oil drilling platforms in the gulf.

We all know how important a crisis is to Mr. Obama and his Chief of Staff, Mr. Emanuel. You wouldn’t want them to waste it by fixing the problem anytime soon, would you?

Okay, more talk about obama and his failures. What a collossal waste of time.
Meanwhile, welfare programs and the debt associated with those absurd programs continue to chew up 58% of our budget, and NOTHING is done. It’s like when Bush said “I tried to tell them about Fannie and Freddie.” But he did
NOTHING. And republicans say “oh, we tried to tell them (while they held the majority of both houses).” Yet, they also did NOTHING. As a country, we need hitters that will DO something NOW, instead of waiting on meaningless elections to see who the next do-nothings will be. People who are not satisfied with 1.4% economic “growth” and sky-rocketing debt and deficits.

Obama and his crew knew exactly what they were doing. The intent was to cause financial disaster and he has done so. This will be compounded by the lack of energy to produce the products that he touts so often as being made with "renewable green energy", which is still way off in the future, if we last that long.

Not only is that disasterously and scandalously joint government/major (Obama) campaign contributor (BP) episode known as "the Deepwater Horizon oil spill", and all the counterproductive and destructive government actions subsequent to it, documentedly and varifiably the consequence of both patently major inconsistencies in enforcing the laws, regulations, and rules already on the books (thus also showing not only how unnecessary any more laws are but also how such laws are not consistently enforced anyway), and something which is again being shown and made plenty evident.

That something is the fact that, whether the policy and goal of Statists such as Marxists/Communists/Socialists or other rulers, or that to where the "Progressive" beliefs and actions of certain politicians and their accomplices lead to anyway, all such Statist ways feature and lead to the same thing anyway at any rate, be it immediately or "Progressively", and that is dependency upon and control by government.

So, be they Statists/Progressives of any sort, regardless of party, whether "Republicans" such as G.H.W. Bush, G.W. Bush, and Jeb Bush, or "Democrats" such as Obama…who not only has revealed, in his own words "I went out of my way (in school) to find Marxists", but said, much more recently, "You want to know who I am? Look at who I surround myself with", and surrounded himself with Statist Communists/Marxists/Socialists of all sorts…it is only too painfully evident and obvious that to expect such as Obama to abandon, or change away from his Statist government dependency-promoting, government dependant-creating, centralized government control ways, and instead do such as "end the oil ban and let Louisiana heal", is to expect what both he and others like him are evidently determined not to do, no matter what it costs the people and, as in this case, even the environment.

[…] Morning Bell: Why Does Louisiana Think This is Obama’s Katrina? – Obama then rattled through all that has administration has done for the Gulf since the oil spill before concluding that the legacy of Katrina must be “not … Heritage.org (blog) […]

We are all tired of Hearing President Obama blame everything on George Bush. Pres. Bush took care of LA during Katrina much faster than Obama went to LA during the Oil Spill. Obama also hindered BP getting help from the Dutch in the clean up, and exempting the Jones Law. which would have helped. It was about 40 days before Obama did anything about the oil spill. President Bush had to wait for the Mayor, and Governor, during Katrina. The Governor left town, so he could have cared less either. President Bush did not cause the housing recession, it was caused by the Democrats in Congress during the Clinton administration, especially Barney Frank and Chris Dodd. President Obama voted as a Senator to allow these absurd loans and encouraged them. You would never know that now tho. This has had a huge effect on the economy. I think it may have all been planned. Sorry, but Obama has failed in everything he has done except getting these bills thru Congress that will harm us even more.

I try very very hard not to listen to the mouth (obambaba). Everything that rolls off his tongue is lies. I turn off the t.v., radio, when he speaks or is shown by the left wing liberal press.

What has obmabbba done to help AMERICA. He is doing everthing he can to destroy AMERICA. Obambbaba, will go down in history as the first black president and the worst president. I will keep a list of all the left wing media, congress, and senators and most important peloise, THAT TOOK AMERICA TO hell .

President Obama's visit to New Orleans, LA was nothing more than political pandering. The people of Louisiana have more common sense than he gives them credit for. Don't be surprised if his government extends the drilling moratorium. President Obama and Democrats should be recognized for creating an Econmomic Katrina upon our economy

There is no legitimate reason for the moratorium, there is no legitimate reason for cap n trade, there is no legitimate reason to tell us how to live, what to eat, what to wear, how to look, what to drive, how to get to work, what light bulbs to use, there is no legitimate reason for any of this deliberately, demeaning, catastrophic, crisis ridden, control grabbing, unaccountable, illegitimate government.

He'd rather maintain the unemployment status then lift an unnecessary ban!

Immediately after the oil spill crisis began, I gave this publication a standing challenge. When the crisis abated, would Heritage Foundation publish a piece based on the actual results. As you know, public opinion gives President Obama high marks for dealing with the crisis. Let's see if this space is used for objective reporting and analysis, or idealogical rantings.

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